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Dear Mom and Dad,
As I have tried to find the words to articulate my feelings about this mission God has laid before you, my parents, only one word has come to mind - inexpressible. How can I express an emotion that joins both awe and excitement for the magnitude of the task now before you that I know God has called you to, as well as the deep sadness of losing my two best friends to a country that is both remote and dangerous?
As I have pondered this tension over the last few months, both the joy and the sorrow have deepened as we have realized the need of the people to whom you are going to minister, as well as the sacrifices we will make as a family in being separated.
What I want you to know today is that in coming to this time of letting you go, God has done a sufficient work in me to allow me to say, in all honesty, that I am grateful for this privilege of making a personal sacrifice to further his Kingdom. Andy and I feel that we are partnering with you in your ministry just by being the ones at home who will carry you in our hearts and in our prayers every day that you are away from us.
Dad preached a sermon many years ago about why the two of you went to the mission field. I will never forget this sermon as it clarified for me the true reason for missions. Yes, it is true that people around the world need and deserve to know about Jesus. Yes, it is true that the poverty and social injustice so prevalent in your new country cannot be ignored by our community which is so blessed. Yes, it is true that it is exciting and rewarding work to see people who are so desperate for truth and light come into relationship with Jesus, the Truth and the Light.
But on those dark and lonely days when it seems that no one is interested in this Truth that you hold, when the injustice of this society overwhelms you, when the heat and dirt and sickness of a country that is not your home make you long for the comforts of family and familiarity . . . this is the time when the true reason for your ministry becomes evident. It is obedience.
 God has called you to this place, and as his beloved children, you will carry out this vision he has placed in your hearts, because many years ago, you chose to obey him. And I am so proud to have been a part of your obedience to Christ.
In so many ways we have experienced, as a family, the rewards and blessings because of your obedience. By your obedience to God in serving him here in Canada for a number of years, you were able to help put me through university, be a part of Andy's and my wedding, as well as enable us to be in full-time ministry. And now that we are home and resettled, it is our turn to send you out, commissioning you for this ministry.
Thinking through God's perfect timing and provision for us, I came to Ephesians 4, which is the prayer that Andy and I would like to bless you with: "When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
"And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God."
Mom and Dad, as you re-enter the culture and heart of the Asian people, I know God's Spirit will be heavy upon you, bringing you the fullness of life and power from God. We join with you in this mission. We are struck by its immensity, but we commit to partnering with you in prayer and in support. We love you!
Your loving daughter,
Megan |
